Allegri: Buffon error was to wake Juve up

Massimiliano Allegri joked that Gianluigi Buffon only made his first-half error against Udinese to wake Juventus up as they went on to win 2-1 in Serie A.

Buffon was criticised in some quarters after his mistake allowed Spain to score against Italy in World Cup qualifying last week, and the veteran goalkeeper conceded another howler in Turin.

But Paulo Dybala’s double was enough for Italian champions Juve to fight back and take all three points – with Allegri jesting that they needed Buffon’s wake-up call.

“Buffon’s error does not bother me,” he told Sky Italia. “He played 50 games a year ago.

“Tonight he wanted to create that difficulty to wake us up, but then he made an unbelievable save on the header [from Felipe].”

And Allegri added that this was an important win against a good Udinese side.

“We did not play well in the first half,” he told Mediaset Premium. “In the second half, after we made it 2-1, we could have scored again. 

“We have suffered in the final stages, with even a little tiredness. Udinese put us on the ropes a little.

“To win the title, we have to win these matches.”